Work place mobbing (an NA perspective)

I can't believe it happened to me. My first night of oreintation on the floor. Little comments under the breath but making sure I overheard. "I can't talk right now she right here." The person orienting me to the floor and her sister who works the third floor meet at my station to take a smoke break. This is what they cover. They couldn't figure out why they would hire another na, I am not getting my hours cut....my trainer says crap like "your going to be cross trainned on all the floors as are we" you will be floating all the time yada yada yada!"They made me feel like I was the sloe reason they would not get the hours they are used to getting.I was in shock! I have never been treated like that before. Please help me. How would you handle this. I don't want to go back. They made me feel like **** and definitly not wanted there.
thank you for your help

Please someone give me some ideas on how to handle this. I have to go back there tongiht and I am not sure I can.

Mar 12, '02

I would get out of that place ASAP, bad vibes, bad for your health. Good NA's are in short demand, so should not be difficult finding a job in a more supportive environment. Some things are definitely not worth the stress, and this job looks like one of them--but only you can decide that.

Mar 12, '02

There ya go Rhona. I agree with Healingtouch. It isnt worth the stress when there are many many other places that would give their right leg for good NA's. But like i said on the other board, definately give the D.O.N. or whoever hired you the exact reason you are leaving because yours may not be an isolated case. Maybe some rearranging of the sisters are in order.

Mar 12, '02

rhona...want to job in the sunny south where people appreciate your good work? As a manager, I spent a significant part of each day trying to communicate to staff that they're valued. In turn, they have begun to value each other and we are seeing less and less of the sorts of things you describe. I would think with the shortage of all care providers...there would be plenty of hours for everyone. Take care...and know there are those out there that do appreciate you and want to see that you are well trained so that you can be the best at what you do...b

Mar 12, '02

Hi and thanks. I called the supervisor and let him(evenings )know what went on. He has a call in to the night manager. I am not going in tonight and I hope I can change my orientation to days. Thanks for the ear I will let everyone know how it goes

Mar 12, '02

I don't know what kind of supervisor he is, but something similar happened at the facility I do part-time at. The nursing assistants were always c/o short staffing, etc., and they hired a new girl who was a bit on the heavy side [I assumed it was her heart weighing her down, because she was so kind to the patients]. At any rate, she came to me in tears and told me that the other staff members were treating her like the bastard at the family reunion.

SO, I sent her on break and collected the troublemakers [the usual round-up where I work--- many facilities have similar problems], put on my F.U. boots and started kicking. The rest of the night and the following evening, I took the new CNA with me to lunch, breaks, etc. [she had to wait outside the bathroom, though ]. What do you know, when I came back in two weeks, for my weekend, she was still there and loving every minute of it.

I don't know if its some type of sick initiation that they do [when I was a CNA I was always thrilled for the help, I would have worked with Jack the Ripper if he could lift well!].

If they continue to mistreat you, I would take the advice that my colleagues have already given to you and find a more supportive environment in which to work.

Mar 13, '02

There are lots of other places where they will appreciate your good work. I vote for a quick exit.

Mar 13, '02

Rhona~
Honey, you've received good advice here. Best of luck to you and know you are appreciated!:kiss

Tim~
We need more like you who will stand up for the underdog when the grouches of the world try to keep us down!:kiss

Julie

Mar 13, '02

I don't blame you one bit for not wanting to return to that night job! How dare they treat you that way! :imbar It is an embarrassment to the nursing profession as a whole when other nurses treat CNAs that way!

During my last year of nursing clinicals, I worked as a Nursing Assistant, and I can recall one nurse in particular who always treated nursing assistants like crap...to put it mildly.
After floating to her unit several times and swallowing what she dished out, I finally decided that "enough was enough", and it was time for her and I to meet with the supervisor on duty that evening. After the three of us met and talked, the nurse made a point of bending over backwards to "clean up the error of her ways" towards nursing assistants. Things improved greatly, but I could always sense that she was none to happy to have nursing assistants on her floor, but at least she learned to keep her personal feelings to herself, and deal with the NAs in a professional manner, as well she should.

May things improve for you, too! If not, some other unit or hospital will be more than glad to have you come work for them. (((HUGS))).

Mar 13, '02

I went to work last night. I was scared to death. The nurse supervisor put me with a young male NA ( great kid!) He was a breath of fresh air. The NA that was trainning me last night came up to talk with me. She apologized over and over again, saying that she didn't mean any harm by what was saidI took her at her word and foragve her. I have let it go and hope I never face another time like that again. I had a wonderful night, lots to do but feeling so much better since I talked to the manager.I love rehab its as different as night and day, from acute care. I guess she(the nurse manager) put this woman in her place pretty quick. I am impressed. I have never had someone do that for me before.I am hanging in there one day at a time. If it gets too bad I will walk but I am really looking forward to the peds unit opening and I will be going there. I won't have very much interaction with this woman again. Thank you to everyone that took the time to answer. It shows me that there are many good hearts looking out for the welfare of others.
Thank you all

Mar 13, '02

I'm glad things turned out better for you last night, Rona. Hang in there, and vent all you want here with us on your bad days. Of course, we love reading about one's good times and cheery moments on the job, too! Best of everything to you!

Mar 13, '02

I ran into a similar problem this week. I started a PRN position to pick up some extra shifts. The aide assigned to orient me worked for the facility for 10 years. I spent much of my first shift following her from room to room picking up the dirty briefs and bedpads that she tossed on the floor (she did not wear gloves). She was openly rude and even yelled at me a few times in front of residents and visitors. I spoke to the DON who told me "we've never had any complaints about her", but said she would talk to the aide.

The next shift, she did not say anything to me, just stared at me and glared. As I was walking by the nurse's station, she looked at me and said to the nurses "they don't want to take orders and they don't want to do what they're supposed to do". She also told staff not to help me.

I gave my resignation today. The DON said that the aide is really a nice person and I was probably being too sensitive and "how do you know she was really talking about you when she said those things?" She said that she called the aide after the shift to see how things went, and the aide did not indicate to her that anything was wrong. The DON wants me to work two more shifts, but I'm not sure that I will.

The bottom line is that I already make $5.50/hour more at a job that schedules me full-time in facilities where I enjoy working. Earning extra money is nice, but I'd rather have the time off than spend it in a facility like this.

I also have concerns working for a DON who tries to minimize this. As long as this behavior is not viewed as a problem it will continue (and they wonder why they have turnover).